Sawtooth Forest Will Get $1.6 Million for Badger Fire Recovery

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-A little more than $1.6 million will be awarded to the U.S. Forest Service-Sawtooth National Forest to help recovery efforts following the large Badger Fire that torched pristine areas of the South Hills. The Forest Service announced it will get the emergency relief funding through the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act after the agency applied for assistance following the 2020 Badger Fire. “The Sawtooth National Forest’s highest priority is to restore the health of the ecosystem and infrastructure damaged by the Badger Fire. As an agency, and as impacted members of the community, we are committed to meeting the urgency of this work,” said Forest Supervisor Jim DeMaagd in a prepared statement. “Our disaster recovery work is connected to the agency’s recent 10-year fire strategy, Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests.” The Badger Fire burned more than 90,000 acres, nearly 73,000 of it Forest managed land, that also came close to homes in the lower Rock Creek area. The $1,659,000 emergency funds will help with restoration and recovery efforts. A number of popular campsites, day-use areas, and trails were burned by the fire. Some areas have since opened to the public while others remain closed.

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